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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2017 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/defiance-developers-answer-a-dozen-player-questions/https://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/defiance-developers-answer-a-dozen-player-questions/https://massively.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/defiance-developers-answer-a-dozen-player-questions/#comments

Good news, Defiance fans: Your questions have been answered. Assuming that your questions were closely tied to the 12 questions answered here, of course. Otherwise your questions remain unanswered. But if you want to know more about expeditions or the upcoming Alcatraz hub, the answers have you covered. Whether or not you'll like the answers is another story entirely; expeditions are very much about straightforward shooting engagements with a full group using a drop-in-drop-out approach to forming a party.

At this point there's no exact ETA for when the Alcatraz update will be available on the game's test server, although the developers are hopeful for "soon." The answers also discuss some long-standing issues and a few bugs as well as take on the issue of character customization, which isn't going to be expanded any time soon. Even if your question isn't among the ones answered, it still would behoove Defiance players to take a peek at what's in store for the game.

Defiance has received a free update called Aftermath that builds "off of the climactic season two TV finale," according to a Trion press release. There's new content that will "carry players across various locales from Silicon Valley to Paradise as the world teeters on the verge of all-out war between the Earth Republic and Votanis Collective," and it includes new events, contracts, pursuits, and enemies.

Don't forget about the Thanksgiving-themed New Frontier Harvest, which runs from November 26th through December 10th. As well, don't forget about the Aftermath trailer that's waiting for you behind the break.

Players will need an Xbox Live gold membership to install the game for free, and they can then enjoy all of the content up through the aftermath of Season 2. Trion Worlds gave a bunch of goodies to Defiance owners with the conversion, including a 30-day patron pass, four character slots, and 1,000 Arkforge.

Now that it's a certainty that Defiance's tie-in television series will be getting another season, are you eager to jump back into shooting things in the Silicon Valley? The Aftermath update is coming, and it will bring with it plenty of new things to shoot. Seven new missions will be added to the game, bringing players from Silicon Valley to Paradise and back; a confrontation with the Pilgrims of the Guiding Light and an attempt to start a war between the Earth Republic and the Votanis Collective both await players taking on the update.

New enemies, new pursuits, and new contracts will help to round out the patch, giving players new things to fight along with new reasons to take part in the battle. There are also several planned quality-of-life improvements, including mission replay and improved co-op balancing for the season 2 maps. No release date has yet been announced, but it sounds as if players will have plenty to do when the aftermath hits.

The series will return for a 13-episode season next year with Kevin Murphy as both executive producer and showrunner. Defiance averaged 2.7 million viewers during its Thursday night episodes in season two.

News of the TV show is of importance to the MMO, as both mediums feature connected storylines, settings, and technology.

Following last night's ISP maintenance, our overnight team has confirmed a DDOS that is currently aimed at Trion's services. We're actively working with our ISP partners and the authorities on both mitigating its effects and ensuring this group gets caught.

Our live games are up and ArcheAge's open beta is going forward as planned. While the attack persists, there may be some effects on network stability and some website unavailability. You also may need to use the Resend Code option for our login security and RIFT's Coin Lock if the email doesn't reach you at first.

We'll keep you informed as the situation evolves.

If I'm bored of writing about the lame antics of script-kiddies, I'm sure MMO studios are livid about being forced to divert resources to combat them.

If there's one message that Trion Worlds wants to get out about Defiance from PAX Prime this year, it's that the game is bursting with content and absolutely welcoming one and all to play.

While we're still waiting for the conversion of the Xbox 360 version to free-to-play, PlayStation 3 and PC players can already jump into the game and experience the title for free. The team's been hard at work refining and fleshing out the game, so for people who might have only dabbled in it shortly after launch, it's almost a completely new world to explore.

As season two of the TV show recently wrapped up, so will the current Aftermath storyline in the game. Both the show and the game dealt with the growing threat of cults, and the MMO will be packaging up the entire saga for players to revisit later in September.

The devs also shared with me that they used the real-world setting of the Bay Area to unleash some pent-up hatred toward the San Francisco airport and its parking in one of the new areas. Good to know that MMOs can be both fun to play and therapeutic for its makers!

Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 29th to September 1st, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2014. Whether you're dying to know more about Warlords of Draenor, The Elder Scrolls Online, Landmark, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
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aftermatharkark-hunterarkfallbusiness modelsconconventiondefianceeventevent-coverageeventsevents (massively's coverage)expofree-to-playmassively-event-coveragemmo-shootermmofpspaxpax-2014pax-primepax-prime-2014penny-arcade-expoplaystation-3post-apocalypticpvpsci-fishootersyfythird-person-shootertpstransmedia-synergytriontrion-worldstvxboxxbox-360Sun, 31 Aug 2014 14:00:00 -0400319|20954854https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/29/pax-prime-2014-rifts-nightmare-tide-expansion-launches-october/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/29/pax-prime-2014-rifts-nightmare-tide-expansion-launches-october/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/29/pax-prime-2014-rifts-nightmare-tide-expansion-launches-october/#comments

RIFT's Nightmare Tide expansion officially launches on October 8th, while Defiance will get "a massive end-of-September" update called Aftermath that includes new missions and events.

Last but not least, Trove will enter closed beta on September 25th. Massively's Justin Olivetti learned today on the show floor that this phase of beta will not be wiped prior to launch. Players who have purchased currency will receive half again as much back.

Massively's on the ground in Seattle during the weekend of August 29th to September 1st, bringing you all the best news from PAX Prime 2014. Whether you're dying to know more about Warlords of Draenor, The Elder Scrolls Online, Landmark, or any MMO in between, you can bet we'll have it covered!
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8-bitaftermatharkark-hunterarkfallbetasbut-really-who-cares-because-archeageconconventiondefiancedefiance-aftermatheventevent-coverageeventsexpansionsexpof2pfantasyfree-to-playmassively-event-coveragemmo industrymmo-shooternews itemsnightmare-tidepatchespaxpax-2014pax-primepax-prime-2014penny-arcade-expopvpriftrift-expansionrift-literift-nightmare-tiderift-planes-of-telararvrsandboxsci-fishootersyfythird-person-shooterthree-faction-pvpthree-way-pvptpstransmedia-synergytriontrion-worldstrovetvvoxelxboxFri, 29 Aug 2014 23:15:00 -0400319|20954624https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/14/defiance-goes-free-to-play-on-the-playstation-3/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/14/defiance-goes-free-to-play-on-the-playstation-3/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/08/14/defiance-goes-free-to-play-on-the-playstation-3/#comments

Defiance has already made the transition to free-to-play on the PC, but now players with more focus on consoles are getting in on the free action. PlayStation 3 users can now download and play the game for free without any up-front cost, just in time to coincide with the ongoing second season of the television show. No precise dates have been revealed for the Xbox 360 conversion at this time, although it's still due "soon."

Players who elect to purchase a copy of the game on the PS3 will receive 1000 Arkforge, four character slots, five loadouts, up to 75 Ark Keycodes, and a 70-slot inventory. They'll also receive 30 free days of Paradise Patron status, which boosts gains on everything from XP to scrips along with a 10% discount on cash shop items. If you like the look of the game but wanted to play it for free on your console, your time is now.

It's time to take it to the ruins of California in Defiance's latest patch, which introduces a large free expansion in the form of Silicon Valley. Karl Von Bach has disappeared into the region with plenty of his followers, but it turns out that the area is slightly less pleasant than advertised. Specifically, it's overrun with a cult called the Pilgrims of the Guiding Light as well as Grid, giving players plenty of things to shoot.

The team behind the game has put together a new trailer to help players get excited about a trip through the valley. Aside from new missions, players can unlock new outfits and synergies, new weapon mods, and an expanded EGO cap. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start shooting; those cultists aren't going to deal with themselves. That's the Acolytes of the Getting Out Of Your Way Conveniently -- that's not even in this expansion.

Shooters are certainly in vogue at the moment, what with last week's Firefall launch, this week's DefianceSilicon Valley expansion launch, and next month's colossally expensive Destiny launch. Come to think of it, those three titles are probably worth pitting against one another, wouldn't you agree?

So, how about it Massively shooter fans? If you had to pick one of those three titles as your go-to gunplay fix, which would it be? Vote after the cut!

Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
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arkark-hunterarkfallbattle-royalbungiebuy-to-playconsoledefiancedestinyf2pfirefallfpsfree-to-playleaderboardmmo industrymmo-shooternew titlesone-on-oneone-vs-oneopinionpollpollspvepvpred-5red-5-studiossci-fishootersyfythird-person-shootertpstransmedia-synergytriontrion-worldstvversusvotevotesvotingvswarxboxWed, 06 Aug 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20941947https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/30/defiances-silicon-valley-expansion-arrives-next-week/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/30/defiances-silicon-valley-expansion-arrives-next-week/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/07/30/defiances-silicon-valley-expansion-arrives-next-week/#comments

Within the world expansion, players will find Karl Von Back has disappeared into Silicon Valley with his EGO-imbued followers, but it's not the paradise they promised. The valley is overrun with Grid, and a strange cult, the Pilgrims of the Guiding Light, have taken hold in locations across the zone. As all new mysteries unravel, the populace of Silicon Valley calls for help, and only ark hunters have what it takes to face the trials ahead.

In an interview with Forbes, Trion Worlds CEO Scott Hartsman revealed that his studio's game portfolio and distribution has resulted in populations that number in the millions. "A year ago we were a company with two games," he said. "This year we are a company with three of our own MMOs, plus our first published MMO, plus 10 other distributed games [through the Glyph digital storefront]. So, we're seeing user numbers in the 12 to 13 million range."

For most of the interview, however, Hartsman discussed the positioning of business models in a changing market. If you've ever wondered why MMOs keep launching with a subscription model in this F2P era, Hartsman has a notion: "There are two reasons why companies can't do it from the outset. Number one is that the larger the company, the more public, the more they have to aim for predictable revenue, and there's not a lot of information sharing on free-to-play on the PC and console markets. The other big challenge is the technology it takes to do sales effectively in a free-to-play game -– there's a lot more that goes on behind the scenes than a lot of people would think, where an initial purchase plus subscription model doesn't take nearly so complex a model to drive sales."

Defiance players who have access to the game's Arkbreaker DLC pack can now "deploy ark spikes with a chance to pull new modules out of orbit," according to a news post on the game's website. Said modules feature "new Grid enemies and a Gulanee warrior in massive battles at the center of the arkfall."

The new content is part of Trion's weekly tie-in to the Defiance television show, the second season of which is currently airing on SyFy.

If you were looking forward to a free-to-play version of Defiance on your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 this week, you'll have to wait a while longer. Trion has announced a delay from the previously scheduled July 15 launch.

"As you've seen or possibly experienced this week, we've been having stability issues with our console platforms," the firm explains on its website. "The team is working on a number of game additions as part of its crossover with Season 2 of the Defiance TV show and the latest build has negatively impacted game stability. Our programmers are working on addressing these issues."

Trion doesn't provide an ETA, but it says that "this is a priority fix for us, as we are eager to welcome fans on all platforms."

Ready to roll out into more Defiance content? You'll have to wait... until the weekend is over. Patch 2.1, Alter EGO, is going live on July 14th, bringing a new mission and two new factions into the game. The new mission helps keep the game's lore humming along and should provide plenty of interesting revelations, as players investigate the apparently resurrected Karl Von Bach and his newfound desire to just give EGO implants to whoever wants them.

Meanwhile, the two new factions are the Tarr Family and the Defiant Few; the latter faction is headed by Camden Pace and promises big rewards to anyone who aids her goals. Players are also promised a new mission line and a new arkbreak in the coming weeks. If that's just what you've been waiting for, load up your gun and get ready to roll out when Monday comes around.

Season two of the transmedia-synergistic sci-fi wonder Defiance premieres tonight at 8 p.m. EDT on the Syfy channel. "Tonight's show picks up one year after the conclusion of Season One," says the official press release, "and players of Defiance the game can get a firsthand look at what the shows characters have been up to, as the Tarr family has expanded its operations into the Bay Area in Datak's absence, and thief Josh Nolan returns to the Bay Area in search of Irisa."

These aren't your old Hellbugs, but a different strain that will appear in various rifts, footholds, and new zone events. Players have a shot at earning a Hellbug mount or pet for killing their brethren en masse, so good luck if you're aiming to get one!

Defiance fans, season two of the TV show starts next week! Not only that, but Trion and Syfy are teaming up to offer free game loot codes which will air during each broadcast.

If you're in the U.S. or Canada, mark your calendars for the premiere episode on June 19th at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Viewers in Australia, Brazil, Latin America, German, and parts of Europe can tune in on Friday, June 20th.

We've known it was happening for a while, but now it's coming to fruition -- as of today's patch, Defiance is free-to-play. On the PC, anyhow. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game will be going free-to-play on July 15th, although they're still getting all of the updates associated with the free-to-play patch. And while the patch contains a lot of the requisite store upgrades and so forth, there's more stuff in there for everyone.

For example, players will now receive special lockboxes for each DLC that they own as part of the game's daily and weekly login rewards. Score mechanics have also been trimmed up, allowing players to more easily get credit for participating in events. And there's the usual array of bugfixes and the like to produce a more polished game for everyone, whether you're a long-term veteran of the game or just want to hop in now that you can play for free.

​In my final week with Defiance in this Choose my Adventure series, I want to talk about my overall impressions of the game as it stands.

First off, I'm sad to say that I didn't reach my goal of a 1000 EGO rating, because seriously, what was I thinking? I am, however, happy to say that I had fun and experienced more of the game than I ever had before. But will I continue to play when it goes free-to-play next week?
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arkark-hunterarkfallbuy-to-playchoose my adventurechoose-my-adventurecmadefiancefeaturedgame mechanicshands-onmassively metammo-shooteropinionpollpollspvpreaders-choicesci-fishootersyfythird-person-shootertpstransmedia-synergytriontrion-worldstvvotevotingxboxWed, 28 May 2014 12:00:00 -0400319|20893180https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/23/amazon-sale-discounts-defiance-ffxi-ffxiv-and-warframe/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/23/amazon-sale-discounts-defiance-ffxi-ffxiv-and-warframe/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/23/amazon-sale-discounts-defiance-ffxi-ffxiv-and-warframe/#comments

Right now through May 31st, Amazon is throwing a truly massive Digital Game Mayhem sale. For MMO gamers, this means that you can get many titles, upgrades, and point codes for a good discount. Here are a few of the offerings:

In this third week with Trion World's Defiance, our adventure continues with my Irathient Outlaw as she just surpasses the 600 EGO level threshhold. Considering the fact that this is already higher than I got my original main character from launch, you can tell I'm having fun.

As voted upon last week, I've been trying out a bit of everything I could get my hands on, from Incursions to Arkfalls and the main storyline to random side quests.
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arkark-hunterarkfallchoose my adventurechoose-my-adventurecmadefiancefeaturedfree-to-playhands-onmmo-shootermmofpsopinionpollpollspvpreaders-choicesci-fiscreenshotsshootersyfythird-person-shootertpstransmedia-synergytriontrion-worldstvvotevotingxboxWed, 21 May 2014 15:00:00 -0400319|20888889https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/21/new-defiance-crossover-missions-live-this-week/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/21/new-defiance-crossover-missions-live-this-week/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/05/21/new-defiance-crossover-missions-live-this-week/#comments

Trion has announced the availability of new crossover missions in its Defiance sci-fi shooter this week. The Cradle to Grave storyline "affects the entire Defiance universe," the company says, so if you're a completist you'll want to check it out to see how it relates to SyFy's ongoing television series.

The missions focus on Eren, the first Earthling-Votan hybrid who is colloquially known as the hope of Tranquility.

For the month of May, I'll be playing in Trion Worlds' Defiance for this Choose My Adventure column. I played the game a bit at launch and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Since then, the MMOFPS has grown significantly, with five DLC packs added to its stable in only one year as well as another season renewal for the Defiance TV show on Syfy.

But does all of this ultimately mean that the game is good? I'm going to take another look at everything while you guide my path a bit. This week, you'll be voting on how I'll spend my EGO points as well as my progression through the story.
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arkark-hunterarkfallchoose my adventurechoose-my-adventurecmadefiancefeaturedfree-to-playhands-onmmo-shooteropinionpollpollspost-apocalypticpvpreaders-choicesci-fishootersyfythird-person-shootertpstransmedia-synergytriontrion-worldstvvotevotingxboxWed, 14 May 2014 14:30:00 -0400319|20884840